Phillies prospects get a taste of Philadelphia

Posted by Mandy Housenick | January 17, 2013 at 05:20 PM

Just wrapped up an hour in the Phillies clubhouse where the organization had seven minor leaguers in town as part of the Prospect Education Program this week. The four-day program consists of various seminars with front office executives and representatives as well as former Phillies players.

Included in the program was a trip to the MLB Network where they met several former big leaguers who currently work for the station and they got to hear Billy Ripken and John Smoltz talk to them as a group. And earlier on Thursday, former Phillies manager and player Larry Bowa also addressed the players.

"He was able to relate the baseball side of it as well as what it's like to be a player, coach and manager," said Mike Ondo, the team's director of professional scouting.

It's the fourth year the club has organized the program, and Ondo said they usually have 8-10 players participate who have spent at least one full year with the Clearwater Threshers.

Ondo said the team really wants the players to spend time in Philadelphia and not a minor league city for the event so they can get the best possible idea of what the city, and everything that comes with it, is like. On Thursday, they got to witness all the craziness surrounding the press conference for new Eagles coach Chip Kelly.

"In a way it was good, and we mentioned that to them today," Ondo said. "We talked about the magnitude of something like that. Even though it wasn't baseball related, it was Philly related, and that's why we bring them here. We want them to be around everything here, as best you can in four days with the people they get to meet and the things they get to do."

NOTE: There will be stories in print to come about the players who were there in the coming days.